South Carolina starting pitcher Michael Roth, who led the Gamecocks to back-to-back College World Series titles, says he was a victim of a 'Catfish' hoax. / Nati Harnik, AP

by Tony Santaella, USA TODAY Sports

by Tony Santaella, USA TODAY Sports

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Former South Carolina pitcher Michael Roth says he was targeted by a "Catfish," a person pretending to be someone they weren't.

Roth, who helped lead the Gamecocks to back-to-back College World Series titles, details his story in a blog that's he's written.

"Catfishing" refers to a 2010 documentary that profiles a man who is duped by a woman who claims to be in love with him, only to find out that much of what she told him wasn't true. A subsequent MTV series based on people with similar experiences was later launched.

It's become a term that's been used much in recent days to refer to the Manti Te'o controversy, in which a Notre Dame linebacker says he had a relationship with a woman, only to later reveal that she never existed.

Roth's situation is far less dramatic. He says in 2010 he began receiving text messages from a woman who clearly wanted to be in a relationship with him, and he engaged in conversations for a short time. However, Roth quickly became skeptical that she wasn't telling the truth about who she was, but says the woman kept texting and calling him for almost a year. He says the woman had a very rehearsed story, and may have tried to mislead other people with a similar tale.

Roth said the woman stopped sending him messages after the 2011 season.